PREP HOCKEY: MVCHA teams hit the ice Monday

Civic Memorial’s Nolan Kahl, right, and Alton’s Zach Carter battle for a loose puck during a game last season at the East Alton ice Arena. The 2018-19 MVCHA season will get under way Monday.

Civic Memorial’s Nolan Kahl, right, and Alton’s Zach Carter battle for a loose puck during a game last season at the East Alton ice Arena. The 2018-19 MVCHA season will get under way Monday.

Photo:

Billy Hurst File Photo | For The Telegraph

Photo:

Billy Hurst File Photo | For The Telegraph

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Civic Memorial’s Nolan Kahl, right, and Alton’s Zach Carter battle for a loose puck during a game last season at the East Alton ice Arena. The 2018-19 MVCHA season will get under way Monday.

Civic Memorial’s Nolan Kahl, right, and Alton’s Zach Carter battle for a loose puck during a game last season at the East Alton ice Arena. The 2018-19 MVCHA season will get under way Monday.

Photo:

Billy Hurst File Photo | For The Telegraph

PREP HOCKEY: MVCHA teams hit the ice Monday

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EAST ALTON — Even though post-season prep football is just hitting its second games, the Mississippi Valley Club Hockey Association is preparing to gets its 2018-19 season under way.

Twelve MVCHA varsity games are set for next week at the East Alton Ice Arena, Granite City Ice rink and McKendree Metro RecPlex.

Monday at East Alton, Alton will face Belleville at 7:30 p.m. and Bethalto will face the Edwardsville MVCHA team at 9 p.m.

At Granite City on Monday, East Alton-Wood River will play Collinsville at 7:30 and Highland will take on Triad at 8:55 p.m.

Tuesday at the McKendree Rec Plex in O’Fallon, Triad and Columbia will square off at 7:30 p.m. and Granite City will face Freeburg/Waterloo at 9 p.m.

On Tuesday at East Alton, Highland will play Edwardsville at 8:45 following an opening-week showdown between Alton and Bethalto at 7:15 p.m.

Last season, Bethalto rallied from a 1-0 deficit in a best-of-three first-round playoff series to eliminate Alton. the Eagles then moved onto the semifinals, where they lost to Triad.

“We weren’t happy with the final result last year,” Alton coach Aaron Kestler said, “and you can tell the boys are hungry for more.

“We’ll need to put in the work, but we have confidence in the team.”

Next Thursday, Nov. 8, two games are set for Granite City and two for the McKendree RecPlex. At Granite City, Belleville and Bethalto will battle at 7 p.m., followed by Highland and Granite City at 8:30 p.m.

At McKendree’s RecPlex Thursday, Edwardsville will play Collinsvilleat 7:30 p.m. and EA-WR will play Freebrg/Waterloo at 9 p.m.